Lords Exemplar
The Lords Exemplar are a Codex Compliant, 5th founding, Space Marine Chapter of Ultramarine stock. Lords Exemplar are the embodiment of a Space Marines noble heritage, and like true sons of Gulliman are expert tacticians each. Though often regarded by their fellow Space Marines as arrogant perfectionists, the Lords Exemplar have proven themselves to be some of the finest Space Marines in the galaxy due to their harsh training and doctrine. Each Battle Brother of the Lords Exemplar is many warriors and one at the same time, taking the Codex Astartes lesson of tactical flexibility to heart, thus they are equipped for every possible scenario and spend all their time off the field training in ever more difficult areas of combat until they have mastered it all. Every concept, every style, every strategy is to be studied and if possible improved upon until the Marine in question is beyond a expert in its use. Thus Lords Exemplar pride themselves on being one of the most able Chapters in the Imperium, capable of taking on any foe in any situation. Their Gene-Seed is naturally pure, save for one imperfection, the Betcher's Gland. Rather than producing acid, the Betcher's Gland in Lords Exemplar Space Marines secrets an extremely potent neurotoxin, known as White Lotus for its coloration and aroma, this venom can kill an Ork Warboss in thirty Terran minutes and most human sized targets will die near instantly, only Lords Exemplar (and of course Nurglites and non-organic foes) are immune to White Lotus. This mutation is considered a taboo in the Chapter, and to bring attention to it is often considered rude. But the Chapter, dedicated wholly to the concept of combat flexibility, regards White Lotus as a useful tool and have been known to make melee weapons and specialized bolts that make use of the venom. The Chapter is loyal to the High Lords and the Inquisition and no other, this has caused some friction with other, more independent, Chapters in the past. A perfect example of this was when the Lords Exemplar turned their guns on the Space Wolves more than a century ago. (an event that would leave both Chapters fairly bitter towards one another) This event and similar ones that would occur later has earned this often noble Chapter a dark name amongst their fellow Space Marines, as the Lords Exemplar have become specialists in hunting down Astartes who have earned the Inquisitions wrath. Though strictly Codex Compliant, the Chapters best and most elite fighters are known as Paladins. They make up a force of the most deadly fighters the Chapter has and are headed by the Lord Commander himself. The Paladins are their own Company in many ways and have their own ranks and privileges apart from the rest of the Chapter. Even mighty 1st Company Veterans pale in comparison to the Paladins, whose sheer skill and versatility make them second to none in the realm of battle, a single Paladin Squire (the lowest rank of this prestigious order) is capable of great feats that may tide of battle. History Founding/Danis Secundus The Lords Exemplar were of the 5th Founding and thus their purpose and overall mission is unknown. The Chapters homeworld, the fudal world of Danis Secundus, a world rife with war and conflict. The Lords Exemplar recurite from the knightly orders of the world, often from the one of the most powerful noble house on the planet. The Paladin Order was founded when their homeworld was nearly overrun with Tzeetchen forces. The Chaos Cult took root amongst the rival houses of the current ruling house, House Drisus. Only a scant few marines of the 1st Company, along with the previous Lord Commander Damian and three Chaplains were present, the Master of Sanctity himself and two other Chaplains in training, they stood with the loyalist forces of House Drisus against the forces of Chaos. Those who survived were to be the very beginnings of the Paladin Order. It was also the day that the Marine that would be known as the current Lord Commander would take his office of leadership, following Damian's demise against the foul Daemons of the Lord of Change. Age of Apostasy The Lords Exemplar actually served Goge Vandire loyal during the Age of Apostasy, believing in the ultimate authority of High Lords. They slew entire worlds, killed off fellow Chapters, all in the name of the Emperor. Some say the Lords Exemplar were fully aware of Vandires corruption, but little proof of that can be found. In the end Vandire would betray the Lords Exemplar during the Purge of Jor, his Brides of the Emperor turning their guns on the Lords Exemplar in mid battle. The Lords Exemplar survived, and assailed the Minisourtum with a vengeance. They were excommunicated by Vandire himself and spent no less than ten years defending their homeworld in a bloody siege until the madman was overthrown. Following Vandires demise at the hands of his own Brides of the Emperor, Sebastian Thor absolved the Lords Exemplar of their past sins and had them pardoned for their crimes against Vandires regime. But to the Lords Exemplar such a "blessing" was an insult, who was Thor, a mortal man, to absolve the Lords Exemplar? Only the High Lords had such authority and, in the heat of the moment, Thor held no such title. Furthermore that the fool even assumed the Lords Exemplar needed the approval of Emperor worshipers the idiots who allowed this Vandire to assume power, amounted to a slap to the face in the eyes of the Exemplars. They would never forgive the Imperial Cult for this slight, or its faithful Sisters of Battle. To this day the Lords Exemplar fervently hold that the Emperor is a man and, furthermore, spite the Minisourtum as corrupt parasites feeding off the scraps of the Emperor's image. They would even leave Sisters of Battle to die so great is their spite at the Ecclarcies perceived insult. The Trodan Incident When the Lords Exemplars Paladins answered the call of a now classified Ordo Malleus Inquisitor, they never expected that they would be brought to the brink of civil war with the Space Wolves. The Inquisitor in question had led the Paladins to the Daemon World of Tordan deep within the Galactic North due to the chapters famed purity and skill...or so the Marines were told. In reality the Inquisitor had been daemon possessed and would enact a ritual that would summon a Daemon Prince of Chaos Undivided and an army of daemons with sufficient numbers as to overrun the Segmentum Solar. The Lords Exemplars Paladins and their Lord Commander were to be sacrifices to the dark gods. But before the Inquisitor could use his personal army of corrupted Inquisitorial Storm Troopers and reprogrammed Robot Cohorts to cut the Space Marines down, a force from the Space Wolves Iron Wolves Great Company descended upon the world. The Space Wolves had learned of this Inquisitors treachery after twelve of their own were sacrificed for the Inquisitors possession on a mission to cleanse and unnamed agriworld of heretic filth, the Space Wolves relentlessly tracked the Inquisitor without alerting the Inquisition itself. (in true Space Wolf fashion) The Paladins, shocked that the Space Wolves would dare attack Inquisitorial forces, engaged in violent skirmishes against the Space Wolves on behalf of the Inquisitors forces, while the false Inquisitor prepared the summoning. It was only when daemons began to pour from the ruins of the world that the Lords Exemplar realized their blunder. Quickly setting aside the now fiery animosity the two Chapters felt for one another, the Space Marines eliminated the Inquisitor and his forces before the full daemon host could be brought into this reality. The Space Wolves lost thirty Space Marines that day while the Lords Exemplar had lost thirteen Paladins, needless to say from that day onward the two Chapters despise one another and will never work together under any circumstance. The Purge of the Cornno Sector The Lords Exemplar purged the whole of the Cornno Sector of xenos lifeforms during a wash of xenos incursions large enough to draw the mighty Chapters attention. The Lord Commander believed that his forces could clear the sector alone, but soon the supposedly divided xenos empires united as one powerful entity and the Space Marines found themselves locked in a thirteen year long war to purge the Cornno Sector. When the purge was finally finished the Chapter had lost 300 Space Marines and to this day the Chapter has only made up a quarter of the of the losses. Weapons/Tactics The Lords Exemplar are known for being extremely flexible in battle and in being brilliant tacticians, as such they work well alone or in command of another force. They are even known to train for scenarios that are not specifically mentioned in the Codex Astartes and as such have their own modified passages in their chapters codex. As the Chapter puts a high emphasis on flexibility combi-weapons are nearly standard issue and they have a considerable stockpile of exotic ammunition. The Chapter also makes use of what they like to call the "Lotus" arsenal, various weapons designed to take advantage of the White Lotus neurotoxin that the Lords Exemplars Betcher's Gland naturally secretes. This include Lotus Blades, which have reserves of White Lotus within their pommels and various channels within the blade to introduce this poison directly into the foes bloodstream. There are also Lotus Bolts, bolter rounds armed with Lotus filled warheads. Lords Exemplar also have their power armor slightly modified to have multiple weapons compartments, from wrist blades, to no less than several compartments for combat knives, ammunition, and explosives. Some Lords Exemplars even have special high pressure pumps integrated into their helmets so that they may spit venom into the foes eyes while being completely protected. In battle the Lords Exemplar's sheer flexibility and tactical acumen, along with near endless preparation and training make these Space Marines ready for any and all possible scenarios and ensures that they will almost never be caught flat footed on the battlefields of the 40th Millennium. Chapter Fleet The Lords Exemplar have maintained quite a mighty fleet, bearing millions of support craft and a sizable battle group of heavy cruisers. However the Chapters pride and flagship is the Regal Tempest, a mighty Battle Barge that has served since the Great Crusade. The Chapters mobile Star Fort,'' The Keep'', is rarely if ever seen away from the Chapters home system. However, it is a powerful vessel none the less and has bested Ork, Calipsian, and Eldar fleets in the past. Chapter Culture Lords Exemplars are all as close to living weapons as a Space Marine can be, wholly devoted to battle and training and nothing else. They do not indulge in any pleasures whatsoever, even their meals are nothing more than bland gruel that, while nutritious and filling, is hardly enjoyable. However, the Chapter is known to have an aesthetic side, taking pride in their appearance and always trying to live up to the image that they have cultivated for centuries. The Lords Exemplar are notoriously suspicious of psykers and other Warp affiliated beings, as it was Chaos sorcerers who nearly brought their recruiting world to ruin. However, they do not show zelous hatred against such individuals, as the Emperor himself was a psyker. This, to the Lords Exemplar, proves that Psykers can be the undoing of the Chaos Gods and the foes of the Imperium. Psykers must simply be disciplined beyond all temptation, then and only then may they be fully accepted by the Lords Exemplar. Thus Lords Exemplar only trust their own Scribes (Librarians) wholly and regard other Psykers with suspicion, but not abject hatred like the Black Templars. (though it is hard for most Psykers to tell the difference) Lords Exemplar spend all of their free time in extremely harsh training, pushing their superhuman bodies and minds to the limits and beyond. They also spend whole days maintaining their wargear, every inch of a Lords Exemplar's armor is spotless and cared for with the utmost dillagance, and their weapons are well maintained. As a result the Chapters Techmarines and Chapter Serfs are often busy around the clock with matinance and servicing the great weapons of war in the Chapter's arsenal. Lords Exemplar rarely support other Astartes or work well with them. This is due to the Chapters belief that their tactics are the best and that all other Chapters should follow their lead and example, they also seem to enjoy combating Traitor and Renegade Space Marines, most likely because this allows them to test their skills to their limits. This can lead to belligerence and outright hostility towards other Chapters, especially those that spit on the Inquisition. Chapter Serfs are looked upon fondly within the Chapter and each Marine has a team of at least four that accompany him everywhere when the Space Marine is not on the field of battle. These Serfs assist the Space Marine with his ever difficult training. As such Lords Exemplar Space Marines develop a close bond with their Serfs and vice versa. The Paladin Order The Paladin Order is the highest and most prestigious order within Chapter, these elite Space Marines are all fanatically dedicated to being the shining example of what a Space Marine should be, loyal, pure, and above all, deadly in all situations. Paladins train in conditions that would kill most Astartes and strive to be ever more in touch with their Emperor, to be physically and mentally perfect in every way. The order rarely numbers more than four squads worth of Space Marines, and thus serves as the Lord Commander's Honor Guard in most situations. Paladins specialize in combating Chaotic threats and Renegade Astartes Chapters. Some would even say they relish in hunting their fellow Space Marines. This path is not an easy one, even for an Astartes, and is only undertaken by those who are undoubtedly pure of soul and mind as well as strong of will and body. Thus the Chaplain's decided who is worthy to be inducted into the the Paladin Order, and after eons this tradition became law, to become worthy of Paladin status, one must first earn the right in the eyes of the Chapters Reclusiem. Paladins come armed with the Chapters finest wargear. Most Paladins of the Knight and Squire ranks don ancient and masterfully maintained MkII Crusade power armor, while higher ranking Paladins and Lords have access to Terminator armor. The Chapter has mixed models of Terminator armor, most of it is Great Crusade era Cataphractii Pattern Terminator Armor but Tartaros Patterns are also seen. Indomitus Pattern Terminator armor is rare and often issued to newer Paladins because this Terminator armor is less rare than its Pre-Heresy counterparts. As for weapons, most Paladins are armed to their personal tastes, this allows them to be a very flexible fighting force, and the use of Combi-Weapons is extremely common. Paladins have been known to opt for a Devastator or Assault Loadout as well as a more standard Tactical loadout. The Paladin Order was founded by and is still headed by the Lord Commander, whose purity and skill make him, in the eyes of his battle brothers, equal with their Primarch Roboute Guilliman. Thus all of those within the Order strive to live up to his example and that of their Primarch, perfection in every tactic and great purpose in every motion. The Paladin Order has various ranks and only the most mighty or noble of deeds can elevate one in the eyes of the Paladins: Lord Commander (Chapter Master) The Lord Commander has led the Chapter since M38 and though he is very old indeed, this Space Marine shows no signs of weakening in is ancient age. However, if he fell in battle, the Lords of the Paladin Order would elect a new Lord Commander from their ranks. Only the greatest amongst the Lords Exemplar can become the Lord Commander, and as with any Chapter Master, must embody not just the Chapters ideals but what it is to be a Space Marine, a pinnacle of combat ability, leadership, and spiritually pure beyond question. Lord (Captain) Lords are the the Captains of the Companies, each having been inducted into the Paladin Order long before they assumed their role as commanders of their fellow Space Marines. Though their role in the Paladin Order itself is minimal, they are wholly beholden to its rigors and ideals. Each strives to be the best example to his men. As such they are each masterful tacticians and unstoppable combatants, having centuries of experience behind them and being of the purest faith. Lords are responsible for inspiring the Space Marines under their command to greater feats of valor. Paladin (Sargent) Paladins are the paragons of the Order, strong, noble, and uncompromisingly brutal fighters. Though any Lords Exemplar can formulate strategies from a command tent or bunker, to a Paladin the battlefield is his command station. He leads his squad of Knights with brilliant cause and unflinching bravery that would make Guilliman himself proud. However, Paladins must also be free of hubris and know that no one plan survives the field of war, thus they are constantly formulating and planning even as they wade knee deep in the bodies of traitors and xenos alike. Knight Knights are the backbone of the Paladin Order, each one having preformed acts of valor and faith that would impress even Guliliman himself. They bring honor to the Chapter and yet, such victories matter not to the Knights, for the Emperor never cared to gloat in victory, instead He looked ever forwards. And thus Knights of the Paladin Order ceaselessly push themselves both on and off the field, always improving, not for themselves, but for the Imperium. In combat few can match the mastery of Paladin Knights, they move across the theater of battle with grace, each motion fluid, each strike flawless. They never falter and even in death they do not waste their momentum, often shielding a fellow battle brother with their body in their death throws or pinning their killer beinth the considerable weight of their power armored forms. Cataphract Cataphracts are the Lords Exemplar Dreadnoughts. Each an every one of them was at one point, part of the Paladin Order and deemed worthy of being resurrected. Many of these Dreadnoughts were of the Contempter Pattern design and are often geared for close quarters combat. These ancient battle brothers specialize in combating Daemons and large xenos in hand to hand combat. Cataphracts are active members of the Chapter and rarely undergo stasis. They, like their organic brothers, are often seen training. Keeping their minds in peak condition through various simulations and war games and often undergoing physical tests to ensure that their robotic bodies are in perfect condition. Thus these warriors often have a two man Tech-Marine team in addition to his usual retinue of four Serfs, to keep him in a constant state of flawless repair. Scribe Scribes are powerful Psykers each and make up the Chapters Libarium, and one cannot be a Librarian without first being a Scribe, as this Chapter holds Warp affiliated beings with great suspicion. Scribes undergo the same harsh training as members of the Paladin Order, in order to ensure their total piety and control over their powers. However, once a Scribe, a Librarian is free of any persecution by his fellows, as Scribes are famed as some of the most iron willed and pure individuals within the Chapter. They understand that their powers threaten the very existance of reality, and that kind of power must be weilded as the Emperor weilded his own mighty powers, with regal authority and only for the good of all mankind. Squire The Rank of Squire is the lowest in the Paladin Order but are none the less some of the greatest members of the Chapter, each is a Champion in his own right. Squires constantly hone their skills and lead their Battle-Brothers into the fray, testing their mettle against both mighty and devious foes. Only when they prove themselves worthy by deed and deed alone, may they advance to the next coveted rank. Usually every squad of Paladins will have one Squire in an assault role, scouting ahead of the squad and proving his worth to the Order through great feats in hand to hand combat with the enemy. Deathwatch Service Only Knights or Paladins of the Paladin Order are allowed to by the Lord Commander to join the coveted ranks of the Deathwatch, and there they find themselves in the thick of some of the most demanding missions of their long lives. Lords Exemplar are magnificent additions to any Kill-Team, each being a finely honed and some would say perfect warrior, capable of crushing the Xenos filth in any scenario. However, this is a double edged sword, as Lords Exemplar, if they are not led by an Inquisitor, rarely pay any heed to their commanding officers and often follow their own doctrine and set their own goals with or without their commanders input. This can lead to much tension and for this reason only the most iron willed squad can stand having a Lords Exemplar in their midst. There are a few exemptions to this, as the Lords Exemplar work well enough with Ultramarines, Imperial Fists, and Black Templars. However to place them in a Kill-Team with a Space Wolf or Hammer of Dorn is to flirt with disaster. Relations 'The Inquisition- '''The Lords Exemplar have been scoffed at in the past as the "Inquisitors lapdogs". (a term the Exemplars don't take kindly to) The Chapter serves all branches of the Inquisition obediently due to the Chapters belief that the Emperor himself founded the organisation and thus that the motives of the Inquisition are His motives and their goals are His goals. Thus the Chapter dose seem to follow the Inquisition blindly, but a few are still wary of Inquisitors who are psykers. '''The High Lords- '''The Lords Exemplar swear totally fealty to the High Lords, and follow their orders without question. In recent times, the Lords Exemplar have worked directly with this ruling council, eliminating rouge Chapters and cracking down on rebellious Planetary Governors on the behalf of the High Lords. The High Lords in return praise the Lords Exemplar as a shining example of obdeince and loyalty to the Emperor. It is even rumored that the Chapters very name, Lords Exemplar,(which means Lords Example of Example of the Lords) comes from this close relation to the High Lords. The Chapter often uses its contacts with the High Lords as "leverage" when dealing with other Space Marine Chapters. '''Space Wolves- '''The two Chapters despise each other ever since the Lords Exemplars own Paladin Order fought against the Space Wolves in the defense of a corrupt Inquisitor. Though this was a massive misunderstanding many within the Lords Exemplar will never forgive the Space Wolves and would sooner see them all purged for heresy than fight alongside them. '''Ultramarines- '''The Lords Exemplar venerate and praise their honored Primarch, Robute Guilliman, and give the Ultramarines from whence they spawned a measure of reverent respect. That being said, the Lords Exemplar hold that the Ultramarines are no longer the paragons they once were, and believe that they are the best of the Honored Ones many sons. 'Hammers of Dorn- 'The Hammers of Dorn and Lords Exemplar despise one another and once the two Chapters nearly devolved into civil war over the pretentious claims that the scions of Dorn are more true to the teachings of the Codex than any Ultramarine and that Dorn himself was the Emperor's favored son. The clash of egos nearly led to full scale war when, during a tactical meeting at the Siege of Felgrian, the representative of the Hammers of Dorn insulted the tactical proposal of the Lords Exemplars representative. This swiftly ignited a fistfight which spilled into the Imperial camp, it was only when a group of Marines Errant intervened did the brawl come to a close, and not a moment too soon as the Hammers of Dorn involved were already brandishing their bolters and the Lords Exemplar had drawn blades in kind. Since that day the two Chapters have rarely worked together and when they do they always seek to outdo one another. '''Adeptus Astartes- '''Generally speaking, the Lords Exemplar prefer to fight alongside Imperial Guard than their "Brothers". As the Lords Exemplar find themselves so wholly dedicated to being the best Space Marines they can be they find all other Chapters lacking, and are repulsed by Chapters that specialize in one particular field. This has led to a lot of bad blood between most Chapters and even outright hostility in extreme cases, this is made worse by the Lords Exemplars domineering behavior when it comes to planning. In many cases the Lords Exemplar will refuse to follow any battle plan other than their own and this can turn already volatile tactical meetings into near bloodbaths. The Lords Exemplar, much like the Minotaurs, seem to relish in combating Traitor Astartes and are well known for their lack of hesitation when ordered by the Inquisition or High Lords to exterminate fellow Space Marines. '''Imperial Guard- '''The Lords Exemplar work very well with the mortal defenders of man. Though for most reasons this is simply because the Imperial Guard follow the Lords Exemplars battle plans without question. Lords Exemplars often take it upon themselves to personally lead any Imperial Guard or PDF forces in their area of operations and were it not for their skillful leadership and purity the Inquisition would be much more nervous having Space Marines command Guard Regiments personally. Heroes The Lord Commander The Lord Commander is an ancient Space Marine whose battle honors and noble deeds are heralded throughout the Imperium. However, his name has long been lost to history. However, the title of his office is sufficient enough for most including himself. The Lord Commander has served the Imperium for eons and has saved countless worlds from the ravages of Xenos and Traitor alike. He has brought the High Lords justice to rebellious Sub-Sectors and annihilated xenos hordes in the name of the Emperor himself. His tatical acumen is ledgandary, having once held off an Ork WAAAGH! with nothing more than twelve Paladin Knights and a single Imperial Guard artilery regiment. His exploits in battle are also well documented, having faced a Greater Daemon of Khorn in personal combat and emerged victorious. The Lord Commander is said to be of an intellectual bend, and deeply philosophical. He has been described by Inquisitors as calm, intelligent, and noble in his actions as well as manner. However, some also describe him as a perfectionist and slightly obsessive, constantly assessing and reassessing his battle plans and often inspecting all groups under his command personally. Oliphas the Deconstructor Oilphas is a Cataphract Pattern Dreadnought of the Paladin Order and the oldest Space Marine in the Chapter. He is also the Lord Commanders second in command and closest freind and confidant. Oliphas is a warrior without peer, his eons of battle experience and impressive arsenal having earned him the unoffical title of "Deconstructor" for the way in which he rips the enemy apart and dissects the foes stratagies. He is armed with a massive Power Maul, and a Dreadnought sized Storm Shield. His skill in the realm of the mind is legendary, as he once figured out the goal of a Lord of Change during a Daemon incursion into Imperial space. Somehow Oliphas had found that the goal of the Lord of Change was to resurrect a long dead traitor, who would in turn break a seal holding a group of Rubric Marines prisoner, who would then reawaken their Champion, who would become a Daemon Prince, who would corrupt the daughter of an Imperial Governor, who would kill a Cardinal, which would lead to the destruction of the Sectors Fortress World, which would lead to the Lord of Changes inevitable conquest of the entire Ultima Sector. As he explains it the plan was much more complex and had many steps after the Fortress Worlds destruction but they were irrelvent at the time. Oliphas is a stern and some would even say perpetually grim individual, always expecting the worst and preparing for it. His cynical demeanor is simply the result of a long life of planning and strategy, plans inevitably fall apart or do not survive the whole battle, thus new ones must be prepared at all times. Some would even call him paranoid, as his back ups, more often than not, have back ups. This is seen in the fact that his sarcophagus is ejectable and armed with Hurricane Bolters should his main body be rendered inoperable. Relics '''The Lords Fist- '''This remarkable Power Fist is the the weapon of choice of the Chapter Champion. They have not only the standard disrupter field but a powerful Sonic Blaster as well. '''The Paladin Blade- '''The primary weapon of the Lord Commander, this massive relic blade is a mighty weapon of nigh unstoppable might. The Paladin Blade is said to have been crafted with a fragment of the very sword the Emperor himself used in the Great Crusade, though this has yet to be proven. It can cleave through any substance and fell beast of the warp and Xenos monstrosities with ease. Quotes About Category:Imperium Category:Space Marine Chapters Category:Space Marines Category:Ultramarines Successors Category:5th Founding